iPhoneography tips to take your pics from wow to super wow

Got an iPhone? Great, you’re basically fully equipped to begin capturing all the unique and beautiful moments that surround you. There’s no need to be intimidated by the term “iPhoneography”. Once you’ve followed some of these tips on improving your photography, you’ll be one step closer to mastering the craft and becoming a serious iPhoneographer. Even without an iPhone, these tips will help put you in the picture.

Keep It simple

The key to taking a fantastic photo, don’t overcomplicate things. Keep your photos simple. Focus on an interesting subject and let the empty space tell the rest of the story.

To portrait or to landscape

Essentially, photography is all about choices. But when should you choose to take a portrait or landscape picture? The general idea is to fit your subject into the entire frame and to do it in a way that is visually interesting, as well as deciding on what to include and what to exclude. So if you are taking a picture of a high-rise building, you would generally select portrait mode.

Rule Of Thirds

It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Imagine your screen is divided in thirds, or even simpler, apply a grid by going to your phone’s Settings and doing so in Photos & Cameras. Use the grid as you guideline, your subject of your photo should have one of the two vertical lines running through it or feature in one-third of the photo.

Get down low

Try shooting from a low angle. This will add an entirely new perspective to your photo. You will also capture more of the sky, eliminating any unwanted elements in your picture.

Lay off the zoom

You really shouldn’t zoom in on a subject when taking a picture. The image won’t magnify, but rather pixelate. And you really don’t want that. You will get a better quality photo if you take the picture, and then crop what you don’t want out of the frame. Or, just get closer!

Use symmetry

Symmetry creates harmony and balance in a photo. Try shooting from the centre of the object you are focussing on. There is nothing more beautiful than finding symmetry in a situation that one least expects to find it.

Steady the hand

If you can’t keep your hands still when taking a photo, use two hands. But, there will be that photo opportunity that arises and you only have one hand to spare, then lock your elbow to your side to try avoid the shaking.

Shoot often

Practice makes perfect. And in this case, practice makes art. The best part about being an iPhoneographer is that your iPhone is always on you. So capture any photo opportunity that comes your way, or keep your eyes open for those that don’t.

Keep It clean

Having a dirty camera lens can drastically lower the quality of your pictures. Always make sure your lens is clean by taking a microfiber cloth and some screen cleaner to your iPhone to get rid of those unwanted fingerprints.

Use apps

This is not to say that the editing and correction tools on your iPhone aren’t going to do the job. Using apps will help enhance specific aspects of your photos that you may not have been able to achieve previously. Try them out, find your favourite and most importantly, enjoy the process.